Mike & Andrew's 2010 rally story......

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Made It!

A very brief entry to confirm that at around 9pm local time last night we made it to Ulaan Baatar in a rather disorganised but happy way. All seven remaining cars made it, although Jamie Mac's van had to be towed by some helpful Portuguese guys in a Ford ambulance. For my Leyland ambulance - the Beast - the last 48 hours were a roller-coaster 'will we make it will we not make it', with the engine cutting out completely around 300k from the finishing line, just about the same time as my body went into 'shut down' mode being hit by a bug. I spent 24 hours in a sleeping bag with my fellow passengers resolving various mechanical problems with the help of various building workers and others. Our glorious entry into Ulaan Baatar was a little tarnished by not being able to find the finishing line (it had closed down for the night) and being semi-arrested by traffic police who objected to flashing lights, celebratory sirens and people sitting on top of vehicles). They put us under police escort and took us to a parking lot to get us off the streets! But it all ended well with a big meal and a shared Cuban cigar; I have slept in a hotel bed and feel a lot better for it.

I'm working on a fuller account to be posted in the next few days, with I hope, tons of pictured. Meanwhile, thanks to all of you who have read this and sent messages of support!

Here's a little evidence of the 'roads' we've been on

Here's our arrival in UB

Celebrating in one of Ulaan Baatar's (many) 'Irish pubs'!

Earlier that day, on the outskirts of UB (we were the first to arrive, and waited for the rest of the convoy to catch up): Harris & Hugo (from HMS Janner) and Nick (from Great Canadian Beavers).

Even earlier that day, Nick high-fives with the local kids...

...and I am fascinated by gers that have their own solar panels and satellite dishes...

An evening in Altai

Hello again. I am still in Altai and think I just have time for one more blog entry. It is a rather shamefaced one, written under the influence of a rather strong hangover. I had better explain.

Things were going quite well until we went to the Karaoke bar here in Altai. My convoy team mates were not discouraged by the power cuts, initially concentrating on drinking beers and reviewing a gruelling day of breakdowns. The then lights came back on and the karaoke machine sprang into life. About 15 guys started shouting out the words of various rap songs, completely out of tune, and all unknown to me (they = 20-somethings me = 20 something plus 3 decades!). After about four beers and a long conversation with the local English teacher, which was all about who had or had not paid for their beer, and after completely failing to get my companions to put Jumping Jack Flash on the machine, John and I decided it would be a good idea to eat something, as we had not eaten all day.

Karaoke: they were ALL out of tune....

We walked out of the karaoke bar and bumped into all these Mongolian guys. I'm not quite sure how it happened, but there was a mention of 'special food', even 'secret food' and before we could think twice about it, we had been bundled into a Russian UAS jeep and were driving at speed down winding roads into the night. Our main host was Ogi, who informed us he had once been to 'Nottingham, innit'. The driver was a local Korean-speaking policeman who sternly told us 'no photographs' (I took some anyway and will upload when I can). Ogi had a big cardboard box witrh a dead animal in it. It was some kind of furry rodent. John and I referred to it as the badger. Anyway, eventually we came to a ger - the round tent-like structure many Mongolians live in which was used by a family Ogi knew. The badger was gutted, and its insides were filled with hot stones and embers from a fire. Then it was tied up and another Mongolian guy, said to 'the best chef in Altai' pummelled it around, and eventually took a blow torch to it. As this was happening Ogi was telling us it was his 27th birthday and we were drinking Monglian soup, a rice dish, a weird spicy type of bread and... did I mention the vodka? About every six minutes a round of vodka would be served and we'd have to toast each other and knock it back. I heard John muttering 'please no' about the fifth or sixth shot, but in a hurried side-conversation we decided that it would be rude to refuse. Having established our cultural sensitivity, we then proceded to get totally unhinged. So my recollection of the evening is a little faulty. I do remember eating the badger - it was tasty - and  remember the kids in the ger getting out of bed where they had been sleeping to eat some too, all of us squatting on the floor and eating with our fingers. Ogi was the perfect host, occasionally saying 'do not worry, I take you back to hotel, innit, my team is Arsenal, f***ing good team, let's have another vodka'. 

Preparing the 'badger'

The cook, Ogi, and John - eating the 'badger'

We did get back to the hotel, and if I remember correctly we decided that more drinks were in order. The chef of the night then sang some rather beautiful Mongolians songs to us, more Mongol Rallyers joined the proceedings (apparently they had been evicted from the Karaoke bar), and a good time was had by all. I do remember embracing Ogi and later hearing reports he had been seen leaving in a very large four wheel drive car. I think it was 3 am.

So, now I have a bad hangover and am drinking lots of water. I've rather blown my story, I've been telling readers of this blog that it is a hard and gruelling journey, and yet somewhow I seem to have been at a party....

After Altai we followed a stretch of road that borders the northern part of the Gobi Desert, complete with camels and discarded tyres..

Altai, Mongolia

Hello blog-readers!

Well I have made it to Altaio in Mongolia, but am somewhat disorganised in my thoughts, so will attempt a more or less coherent summary of the last few days.

The major point is that Mongolian road conditions make almost everything experienced up to this point a kind of minor-league picnic. Imagine driving a group of cars across Europe, bashing them up and wearing them down over some 8,000 miles or so, and then, when they are truly battered, submitting them to trails and rock and gravel tracks that shake and batter them like they have never been shaked and battered before. So the cars are beginnign to fall on all sides now. Our 8-vehicle convoy fell to 7 due to the demise of 'Cake or Death's Fiat Brava. Today  the Great Canadian Beavers Team came off the road and 'rolled' their little Vauxhall. The two girls in it came out OK but Nick was pretty badly shaken up. We fitted tow ropes and used the ambulance to get the car back the right way up; it has a smashed windscreen and crumpled bodywork; I then took Nick to hospital here in Altai -as luck would have it, after about 500km or so of wilderness they crashed just 2kms out of Altai, and near a hospital. Nick has been X-rayed and there are no broken bones, but he will be in pain for some time. What else? The left front wheel on Jamie Mac's van is breaking away from the rest of the vehicle. It has already been spot-welded once, but that was a bodged job in a very small village, and now it is being re-fixed. So we don't really know how many vehicles will remain in the convoy by tomorrow morning.

The Beavers 'rolled':

The Beavers - pulled the right way up again...

As for the Beast, she is doing her level best. We have had three big punctures in the last 36 hours. As I had only two spares, this has involvedstopping at various garages to get the tyres fixed and re-inflated. I have to say I am a bit of an armchair driver. never really understood much about mechanics, but this is now having to change. I now know how to change the wheels on a six-wheeled, 3.5 ton ambulance! I also know how to do it with an improvised bolt wrench that I had welded for me in a Mongolian village, given that my Halfords 27mm wrench went missing in the great back door diaster of about 5 or 6 days ago. As for the back doors they have juddered loose again, and are now tied by string, resulting in even more dust infesting everything. On top of that I have the bags and belongings of 3 university students and 2 Scots all jumbled up in the back, making it look like an absolute and total tip. I have been sleeping outside under starry skies, but after a mass mosquito formation attack the night before last, I went back to to the one-man tent, which I was able to rescue from the back of the  ambulance dirt pile last night. Oh, the other point about the Beast is that the front shock absorbers have now gone- I've just had them replaced for 85,000 Mongolian, which works out at around 40 pounds - my passengers are all chipping in to the cost.

The Mongol Rally 'fix it' shop in Altai

What else? Oh I haven't mentioned the great Chinese motorbike faux pas. After losing their car Cake or Death, clubbing together with various other enthusiasts, bought a 150cc Chinese motorbike. It lasted 24 hours and then started falling apart, so they sold it at the next village, taking a loss. I wasn't in the club, but I still drove it around a bit which was a great pleasure. I can now officially say I have off-roaded in Mongolia!

Trying out the Chinese bike:

Last throught: Lonely Planet tells me that MOngolia produced a) the Huns, b) the Turks, and c) the Mongolians proper, as led by Chinggis Khan. Quite a record. I have lots of pictures, but probably won't be able to upload until UB. Thanks to all for messages o0f support - they are GREATLY appreciated! 

After Altai we reached the Gobi desert:

Tawanta, Russia

Reached the border at 3 am this morning. Came throught the Altai mountains by moonlight. Helped Jamie Mac who had a blowout and a flat battery - we jump started his mini-bus. Very cold at night, brilliant, bright stars. A little bit of snow on the distant peaks, some horses near the border poat. We are told the crossing can take up to 50 hours. Also that the mobile phone signal pretty much ends in Mongolia, so this may be my last blog entry for a while.

Biysk, Russia. We are on...

Biysk, Russia. We are on the road, moving south. Shock absorbers seem to be working. Altai mountains here we come!

Biysk, Russia. The shock absorber...

Biysk, Russia. The shock absorber fix lasted for 24 hours. We are now back at another garage in Byisk, they fixed it once for RUB2,000, but that didn't last and we are back again. This time they have managed to get some rubber shock absorber caps that may be the amswer to our problem. I am with Hugo, Simon, and Harris from Team HMS Janner, who had to leave thei r car in Poland and got the trans Siberian rail here.. Like me, they want to get moving

Biysk, Russia. Special nomination for...

Biysk, Russia. Special nomination for 'heroes of the Mongol Rally goes to the 7 or 8 Russian guys fromntje garage in Rubtovsk who swarmed over the Beast this morning and brought the rear shock absorbers back to life. They workedon it for 2 hours and refused to accept any kind of payment whatsoever, apart from the single bottle of beer I was able to offer them. While we waited all sorts of Russians with impressive four wheel drive vehicles stopped for a chat. We also met two Australians driving from Japan to London. Lots of driving today, i have picked up 3 guys who became carless in Poland and took the trans-siberian railway to get here. We are now in a field in the foothills of the Altai mountains.

Rubtsovsk, Russian Federation

I've had a look under the ambulance. I'm pretty bad on using the right words for mechanical bits and pieces, but I think the things that are shot are the shock absorbers, the suspension being fine.. The shocks are big fat rubber covered cylindrical things which say 'Made in England'@

Rubtsovsk, Russian Federation

The loss of rear suspension yesterday was pretty bad. We were on pot-holed roads which made it worse. Each bump was magnified into what felt like a small explosion and the contents of the ambulance, me included, were shaken up mercilessly. Somehow the top came off my tin of spare engine oil and Nick's muesli broke out from the 'food cupboard' so that there was an 'oil and muesli' disaster area. Worse, close to the Russian border the shaking got so bad the the (locked) back ambulance doors were thrown open, the infernal noise being so loud I didn't realise. A number of plates and the kettle disappeared out the back, as did the 10 litre petrol jerry can (but not the 20 litre one, luckily). The cafetiere was also smashed. A setback but not a disaster I hope! I am in the Rubtovsk garage now, a lot of guys are looking at it, but I don't yet know the verdict.

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